Middle East Flashcards
Southwest Asia lays at the crossroads of what 3 continents?
Asia, Europe, and Africa
Describe the Dead Sea
Lowest point we can visit on Earth, very salty anything floats, no life, 1,349 feet below sea level
Arid:
Very very little to no rain, can get as little as 10 inches of precipitation per year
Semiarid:
some rain (10+ inches)
Mediterranean Climate:
Summers are very hot with temperatures 100ºF+. Winters are typically mild and rainy depending on the area’s altitude, distance from the equator, and winds.
Why does Central Asia receive so little rainfall?
Tall mountains (the Hindu Kush) prevent storms that form over the Indian Ocean from getting to Central Asia.
Desert Scrub Plant Life:
Mostly shrubs and small trees that have adapted to not need much rainfall to survive.
What is SW Asia known as and why?
“cradle of civilization” because where farming began, where first cities arose, birthplace of 3 major religions
Most people in SW Asia are:
Muslim
What are the TWO resources that shape economic activity in Southwest and Central Asia and WHY?
Oil. It is important because the area is rich in it.
Water. It is important because the area lacks it. Lack of water limits commercial farming.
Population describe:
Around 652 million people live in Southwest and Central Asia. Youngest and fastest growing population.
How is oil made?
Millions of years ago tectonic plates crashed and the heat of the Earth’s core and the weight from the water and tectonic plates created enough pressure to make oil from fossils.
crude oil?
petroleum before it is processed and refined straight out of the ground.
oil reserves?
oil that has been discovered but remains undiscovered/untouched in the ground.
Why so much oil in SW Asia?
A great amount of oil is buried under Southwest Asia because millions of years ago it was underwater.
